Crawford mpany : CAT adjuster spotlight - Ron Hulbert

Ron Hulbert, a CAT adjuster and dedicated team manager, is celebrating 15 years in the adjusting industry. Performing acts of service is an important way for him personally and professionally, and he draws on this mission to provide excellent customer service to carriers and policyholders. Ron also invests his time to help the adjusters on his team excel in the field.

Ron was looking for work, when Kimberly, his wife and a licensed adjuster, suggested that he consider adjusting as a profession. Starting as a field adjuster, Ron learned on the job and quickly developed an appreciation for the work. He joined Crawford's roster in 2005 and has almost exclusively worked with the company as a field and desk adjuster since then.

He immediately felt welcomed at the company, noting the emphasis on relationship building. Ron's loyalty to the company is equally reciprocated by the meaningful connections he has with those that make up the CAT department and managerial staff.

'I thrive in the team environment at Crawford,'

Ron said.

Ron's previous manager suggested he would be a great fit for a managerial role. Ron was hesitant at first, but eventually made the transition to team manager and loves working with young adjusters with boundless potential. Half of Ron's workday consists of taking inventory and reviewing claims, but his team's goal is to have claims handled within 24 hours. The other half of the day is dedicated to clients and team communication. He is in constant contact with his team of adjusters daily and makes himself available for anything they may need. Ron draws on his experience as an experienced adjuster to empathize with his team and understand any potential obstacles they may face. This mutual understanding allows Ron to create a genuine, personal connection with each adjuster, and Ron's team knows they can come to him with any questions or concerns. Ron tries to turn every mistake or question into a teachable moment by offering advice, constructive criticism and expertise.

'I'm not just a manager,' Ron said. 'I'm also a teacher.'

Ron believes one of the best things a new adjuster can do is find a mentor. He is delighted to offer that mentorship to his team, and often talks about how the greatest enjoyment from his job comes from the people he works with. Ron inspires his team to put forth a quality product to clients and wants to make Crawford the top vendor that carriers contact. He believes in his team the same way he believes in the company overall.

Ron has experienced many storms in his career, and has seen a spectrum of destruction and the hardship of loss. In 2012, he was deployed to New Jersey because of Hurricane Sally. During this deployment, he helped policyholders who had lost their homes and property that were in their families for decades. Ron recalls how the adjuster presence brought a sense a calmness and hope to struggling policyholders.

'Adjusters are the first step in restoration and provide a glimpse of hope,' Ron said.

As the claims process becomes more automated and streamlined through technological advancements, Ron recognizes that an app cannot replicate the important relationship between an adjuster and policyholder. This mindset also translates to the relationship between field adjusters and CAT managers. The two have to work as partners to establish efficiency and accuracy to create empathy with the policyholders. Ron recommends that new adjusters work on their technological literacy to become savvier with technical tools, such as drones.

'Nothing can replace the necessary relationship between CAT management and field adjusters,' he said.

When Ron is not managing his team of adjusters, he enjoys being on his 24-foot triple-hull pontoon boat. He currently lives in Orange Beach, Alabama with his wife and three children. He loves island hopping and spending quality time with his family and friends on the boat. Ron's dedication to Crawford, his team and the RESTORE mission makes him a valuable part of our team.